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The agency had suspended the 2016 rule, meant to cut the waste of natural gas on public lands created by venting, flaring and accidental leaks, in January 2017 following the orders of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

With federal moves to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Arctic Ocean, and a plan to build a road through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge’s designated wilderness, Alaska has become ground zero in the Trump administration’s efforts

In his first year as Interior Department Secretary, Ryan Zinke has revealed his true colors as a loyal friend to the fossil fuel industry, issuing secretarial orders to systematically strike down dozens of environmental safeguards that protect Americans and their land, air and water.

A year before effectively eliminating Bears Ears and vast portions of Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, then President-elect Trump claimed his administration would honor the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt and "conserve and protect our beautiful natural resources for the next generation including protecting lands."

The Wilderness Society joined with other stakeholders on September 14 to file a petition requesting the Interior Department and Bureau of Land Management update how they manage oil and gas leasing on public lands.